The invention relates to a recording and/or reproducing apparatus for a record carrier in the form of a tape accommodated in a cassette which can be loaded into the apparatus and which comprises two juxtaposed rotatable reel hubs for taking up the record carrier, the apparatus comprising a rotatable forward-winding mandril and a rotatable reverse-winding mandril, which winding mandrils each engage one of the two reel hubs to drive the record carrier when a cassette is present in the apparatus and are each rotationally interlocked with one of two winding mandril wheels which are coaxial with the two winding mandrils and which are both arranged at substantially the same axial level adjacent a cassette-main side which faces the winding mandril wheels and comprising a drive arrangement which is constructed to drive the two winding mandril wheels and which comprises a drive shaft which extends parallel to the axes of the winding mandrils and which is rotatably journalled on a bearing support which is movable transversely of the axes of the winding mandrils, which drive shaft carries a drive wheel which is rotatable by a motor, and which comprises a first shaft section and a second shaft section, the first shaft section being disposed at substantially the same level as the winding mandril wheels and the second shaft section being disposed at a level between the level of the winding mandril wheels and the level of the cassette main-side which is remote from the winding mandril wheels, and by means of which shaft sections one of the two winding mandril wheels is selectively drivable by moving the bearing support, a drive transmission being arranged between the second shaft section and the winding mandril wheel which can be driven by means of said shaft section, to bridge the difference between their levels.
A commercially available known apparatus of this type is used as a pocket dictation machine for a cassette containing a record carrier in the form of a magnetic tape, and during operation it is held in one hand by the user. There is a trend to minimise the dimensions of such apparatuses, in particular their overall height, i.e. their thickness, and also their width, so that they can be put easily into and carried about conveniently in a pocket of a jacket or the like. The known apparatus is constructed to accept a cassette with its longitudinal direction oriented transversely of the longitudinal direction of the apparatus and comprises a movable bearing support which together with the drive shaft, which is rotatably journalled on said support and which extends parallel to the axes of the winding mandrils, is arranged in the proximity of the long and narrow cassette side which is remote from the magnetic head for scanning the magnetic tape. The drive wheel on the drive shaft is disposed at an axial level which, in the direction from the cassette main-side facing the winding mandril wheels towards these wheels, is situated at a greater distance from the level of this cassette main-side than from the level of the winding mandril wheels. This means that in a plan view of the apparatus the drive wheel, in relation to the cassette and the winding mandril wheels, is situated underneath the winding mandril wheels. As a result of this arrangement of the drive wheel the space required for this wheel inside the apparatus underneath the winding mandril wheels, viewed in the axial direction of the winding mandrils of the apparatus, is such that this is in conflict with the requirement to minimise the dimensions of the apparatus in the axial direction of the winding mandrils, i.e. to provide an apparatus which is as flat as possible.